this is assuming that he does smoke crack and there is a video of him doing so. if he doesn't smoke crack, and there is no video, there's no reason to pay this any attention.

So these 4-5 people, from two separate countries that have said there is a video are all lying? The star would publish this story, pictures and risk everything on nothing but lies? What would be the point? Just saying, that's more of a stretch than none of this being true at all, knowing what we know of this guy.

So these 4-5 people, from two separate countries that have said there is a video are all lying? The star would publish this story, pictures and risk everything on nothing but lies? What would be the point? Just saying, that's more of a stretch than none of this being true at all, knowing what we know of this guy.

Exactly. It's no secret that The Star hates Ford. But if the video turns out to be fake/bluff, they are risking their credibility.

this is assuming that he does smoke crack and there is a video of him doing so. if he doesn't smoke crack, and there is no video, there's no reason to pay this any attention.

There is someone hawking what is described as a very clear, unmistakable video of Rob Ford smoking something that is in a crack pipe. It was viewed by multiple reporters along with the person in possession of the video who has a full account of Ford smoking crack in a crack pipe in his presence on many occasions. Now even if there is some stretching of the truth by the person who took the video, there is plenty reason to pay this attention. If there is no truth in this, then there is even more reason to pay attention to this. If he doesn't go after Gawker and the Star with the full force of the law then his lacklustre attempt to write this off as a media witch hunt is not very believable, particularly when he's tried the same excuse many times over and been proven to be wrong.

What public figure gets someone selling a video of him smoking crack? This just simply is far from an everyday bit of fluff, even if there is no merit to it. You have to be a fuck up to some extent to land in a situation like this. And we've seen enough of his fucking up proven to be true. There's really no moving on from this. At best he just goes away and gets replaced by a lifesize cardboard cutout of himself like Mel.

Exactly. It's no secret that The Star hates Ford. But if the video turns out to be fake/bluff, they are risking their credibility.

I'm not sure the Star hates Ford. They do not support his agenda editorially, but they have not shown themselves to be hateful. They have done their job in reporting on a lot of troublesome issues related to how the guy is likely not suited to do his job. Rob Ford does like to point the finger at the Star and play the victim, but he has likely abused his media access far more than the media has abused him.

they're not risking a whole lot publishing a story about people trying to sell them a video recording of him doing it. the star isn't making the accusations that he hits the pipe.

They are verifying the veracity of the video they viewed. If there is nothing to the video and they are putting this on the front page, then they would and should be hit by a huge lawsuit. For Rob Ford to just make it seem like ridiculous accusations by politically motivated reporters out to get him is beyond ridiculous. First off, the story was broke by an American website with no political interest. It's just all he has to say until we see the video. That's why I think it's essential that the farce comes to an end and the dude gets help for himself, his family, and allows city business to move forward.

Edit:Just read your post about not seeing what I opened with here. Yep. It's a story.

I saw on CNN today that the Gawker is trying to raise the money to buy the footage. They apparently are at 20k so far

The fucker wants 200,000 now. I really feel uneasy about a guy like this getting paid a huge sum for this. There's no telling how that money might end up being used. I find the whole fundraising idea pretty troubling. I'd love to see the video, but not that badly. On the other hand it might take seeing the video to keep this guy from getting a lot of votes. I hope that isn't true though.

does the video show them selling crack to Ford directly?
if it doesn't I don't think they can

Not sure what video shows, but reporters said it was him smoking crack with people in the background. Either way, I noticed that low-quantity trafficking is gets you about a year in prison. I guess if you are in a poor area, you probably would be willing to take a year or two in jail for $100K.

The Star reporter I saw on the National said it was a tight shot of Ford. So there likely wouldn't be anyone else implicated. The Gawker editor said he felt the guy would go far away once he got the money. Chances are the money would lead to some kind of trouble in Somalia.

2/15/1999
Arrested in Miami, Florida, for DUI and receives a marijuana conviction; convicted; denies charges later during mayoral campaign until presented with evidence.

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3/6/2002
During a council budget debate, Ford calls fellow councillor George Mammoliti a "Gino-boy."

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4/15/2006
Security guards remove a drunken and belligerent Ford from a Maple Leafs game. After being asked to be quiet, Ford yells, "You right-wing communist bastards," and "Who the fuck do you think you are? Are you a fucking teacher? Do you want your little wife to go over to Iran and get raped and shot?"

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6/28/2006
Ford declares during a debate on a $1.5 million AIDs prevention program: "If you are not doing needles and you are not gay, you wouldn’t get AIDS probably. That’s the bottom line.... How are women getting it? Maybe they are sleeping with bisexual men.”

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3/7/2007
Comments about cyclists: "My heart bleeds for them when I hear someone gets killed, but it’s their own fault at the end of the day."

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3/5/2008
Comments about Asians during a holiday shopping debate: "Those Oriental people work like dogs. They work their hearts out. They are workers non-stop. They sleep beside their machines. That's why they're successful in life. I went to Seoul, South Korea, I went to Taipei, Taiwan. I went to Tokyo, Japan. That's why these people are so hard workers (sic). I'm telling you, the Oriental people, they're slowly taking over."

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3/26/2008
Ford is charged with assaulting his wife and uttering a death threat. The charges are later dropped because inconsistencies in Renata Ford's accounts make a conviction unlikely.

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6/4/2010
Ford offers to help an ill man "score" the powerful painkiller OxyContin in a taped phone conversation: "I’ll try, buddy, I’ll try. I don’t know this shit, but I’ll fucking try to find it. Why don’t you go on the street and score it? Fuck, you know, I don’t know any drug dealers at all."

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12/21/2010
A Toronto Star story shows that Ford and his aides made misleading statements about his academic career implying that he attended Carleton University for three years (dropping out two credits short) and played varsity football for the Carleton Ravens. In fact, he dropped out of Carleton after one year, and former Carleton Ravens players are doubtful that he ever dressed for a game. York University confirms that Ford took six continuing education courses, completing "some, but not all" of the first-year courses.

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7/22/2011
Ford seen driving while using his cell phone; makes obscene gesture at woman and six-year-old daughter after mother tells him to get off his phone

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12/25/2011
Ford's mother-in-law calls 911, claiming that Ford has been drinking and is taking his children to Florida against his wife's wishes.

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3/17/2012
A St. Patrick's Day reveller reports seeing Ford “stumbling down the street … inebriated and sweaty but in a jovial way” and tells him "You're the worst mayor ever." Ford allegedly walks over, kissed her on the forehead, and responds, “I know, but I try.” Ford then heads into a private room in the Bier Markt on the Esplanade, where a staffer describes him as “incoherent” and “hammered.” The DJ working that night reports Ford is fighting and carrying on "like an idiot.” After “storming the dance floor,” Ford is asked to leave and escorted out by his own staff and members of the restaurant's security team.